Zimbabwe’s Civil Aviation authority have impounded a plane after a dead body was found on the plane.

According to officials at the airport, the cargo of the plane was loaded with millions of South African rand. Officials say blood was seen dripping from the South Africa-bound cargo plane during a refuelling stop. The authorities at the airport say they have handed the matter to Interpol to investigate.

Its chief, David Chawota, said the cargo on the US-owned plane belonged to the South African Reserve Bank.

A senior official at the bank, Pradeep Maharaj, said: "The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is aware of an aircraft carrying a SARB consignment that stopped in Harare and was detained following the discovery of an unidentified body that is presumed to be a stowaway on the aircraft."

The bank is reported to be working with authorities to ensure that the cargo was released and transported to South Africa, he told the BBC. Zimbabwean officials say the plane had been travelling from Germany to South Africa and belonged to Florida-based Western Global Airlines.

It had made a request to land at Zimbabwe's Harare International Airport to refuel, they said.

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Interpol is reportedly working with officials in Zimbabwe to investigate the death of a man whose body was found aboard a cargo plane carrying large sums of South African currency.

The plane was grounded in Harare together with its consignment on Sunday. The money on board the plane, which was travelling from Germany to South Africa, was for the South African Reserve bank.

The body of an unidentified man, believed to be that of a stowaway, was found inside an air conditioning compartment when it touched down in Harare. It is suspected the deceased hid in the plane's landing gear, which cut his arm when the wheels were pulled up.

South Africa's ambassador to Zimbabwe Vusi Mavimbela says six crew and some officials from South Africa’s federal bank were on board, and they have been questioned by Zimbabwean police.